Religious style Japanese Gardens

Among Japanese gardens having religious significance are those in what is known as the Joudo style. Taking its name from the Joudo Buddhist sect, this garden style was developed in the late Heian and Kamakura periods (c.1000~c.1333) and draw its symbolism from the belief in the Joudo paradise popular at the time.

The focal point of this type of garden is the pond with a bridge arching to a central island, a major motif of the Joudo mandala. Behind the pond is the Amidadou housing the figure of the Amida Buddha or the kondou. The Hououdou garden at Byoudouin, a temple in Uji south of Kyoto, is an early example of the Joudo style garden; and the Kinkakuji garden in Kyoto a later example combining the Joudo and the residential styles.

Beginning in the Muromachi period (c.1333~1573), garden design was strongly influenced by Zen Buddhism and abstract symbolism became increasingly important. Grouping of rocks represented figures of Buddhas, and white sand replaced flowing water in the sand and rock gardens of this period. Examples of this style include the rock garden at Kyoto’s Ryouanji and Daitokuji’s Daisen’in garden, also in Kyoto. The extreme abstraction of these gardens echoes abstract modern art.